Holidazzle in Loring Park

Due to the remodeling of Nicollet Mall, Holidazzle has moved to Loring
Park! A community gathering place, the 2015 Holidazzle will offer free
family-friendly programming. Features include local food and beverage vendors,
artisan booths, entertainment, and fireworks.

The opening ceremony will begin at 6:30pm on Nov. 27 featuring a performance form Holidazzle regular MN Chorale and a fireworks display. The festival is open 5pm-9pm on Thursdays and Fridays and 11am-9pm on weekends.More Information

News

Twin Cities Declared “The Best
Place to Live” in the United States

When it comes to "Best of" lists, Minneapolis-St. Paul has
routinely appeared in rankings of things like parks, eats and jobs. Patch of Earth combined seven listings
and created the “Absolute Top Cities”, and its official, Minneapolis/St. Paul
is the best place to live in the U.S. Read More

Minneapolis Ranks Among Top Cities for Women-Owned Businesses

The Minneapolis metro remains one
of the top U.S. cities for women entrepreneurs, according to the latest ranking
from personal finance site NerdWallet. The top 10 cities for women entrepreneurs
are:

Minneapolis Hailed as Minnesota's First “Age-Friendly” City

The population of people 50 and
older living in Minneapolis keeps going up — from 77,728 in 2000 to 97,918 in
2013. Statistics like that have encouraged the city’s efforts to be more
amenable to the needs of older folks; AARP recently designated Minneapolis as
the first “age-friendly” community in Minnesota. Read
More

Mayor Hodges Kicks off Energy Challenge

Mayor Betsy Hodges kicked off an
energy challenge for the city’s largest commercial buildings and recently
honored high performers in energy efficiency. The challenge encourages
buildings to cut greenhouse gas emissions 15 percent by 2020 through energy
efficiency improvements and increased reliance on renewable energy. Buildings
larger than 50,000 square feet are eligible to participate in the challenge. Read
More

Greater MSP Launches New Campaign

Greater
MSP, the economic
development organization charged with attracting employers to the region,
launched a new campaign called Make It MSP. Make It MSP is designed to attract
and retain talent in the 16-county metro area and to improve the experience of
workers who are transplanted to the Twin Cities. Read
More

Business Profile: K'ul Chocolate

Inside K'ul Chocolate, one of only 140 bean-to-bar chocolatiers in the US

While people usually think of chocolate as candy, Peter
Kelsey, owner of K’ul Chocolate, is
presenting chocolate in a new light: chocolate as a superfood. Frustrated by
the unappetizing selection of energy bars, Peter wanted something different. He
noticed that dark chocolate’s low glycemic index and balance of fats and
carbohydrates would make it a delicious, natural alternative to traditional
energy bars. With that, he decided to make his own, adding ingredients to his
bars like pomegranate and pumpkin seeds, and in August 2015, opened K’ul
Chocolate.

K’ul (pronounced “cool”) is the Mayan word for energy. Located
in the Seward neighborhood in Peter’s old karate studio (2211 E Franklin Ave),
K’ul is one of only 140 bean-to-bar chocolatiers in the United States.
Bean-to-bar means that everything, from roasting the cocoa beans to final
packaging, is completed in-house, a process which required some licensing
changes from the City to allow the combination of an artisanal manufacturing
facility within a retail business. Currently, K’ul is roasting cocoa beans once
a week, which are sourced mainly from South America. Peter and his team also
visit most of the farms K’ul sources from to ensure they are both socially and
environmentally responsible.

In addition to the Seward retail location , K’ul chocolate bars can
be purchased in retail outlets that serve a variety of clientele, including Peace Coffee, Midwest Mountaineering and East Side Food Co-op. Looking to the future, Peter is considering
creating a “chocolate café,” where customers can choose their own ingredients
and create customized chocolate bars.

City and Partners Solve Computer Problems for Over 390 Minneapolis Residents through Fix-It Tech Events

FixIt Tech events served over 390 customers in 2015

In a world where computers are a necessity, computer
malfunctions can be frustrating and costly to repair. To help people learn how
to handle their slow or failing computers, the City of Minneapolis has coordinated
nine Fix-It Tech Events over the last year, serving 392 customers. The events
were developed in response to the 2014
Minneapolis Community Technology Survey results, which showed that
residents were not comfortable troubleshooting their computers, installing
software and backing up files. At Fix-It Tech events, volunteers are available
to teach repair skills and give technical advice about devices. Additionally,
there are free workshops and resources covering basic computer maintenance and Internet
safety.

Fix-It Tech events have goals to increase community education
by offering free computer hardware repair, education, and tech support. The
events also aim to develop the IT workforce, giving IT students real-world
experience in tech support and connecting them with residents in need of
support. They have been hosted throughout Minneapolis, in locations including
EMERGE, the Takoda Institute, and the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement
Center (UROC). The next event is on
Saturday, November 21, from 10 am – 1 pm. For more information, click here.

NEON to Bring Much Needed Co-Working Space to North Minneapolis

Construction progress of the new Business Incubator space at 1011 West Broadway Avenue North

Responding to the need for more
shared and private co-working spaces in North Minneapolis, NEON (Northside Economic
Opportunity Network) will open a new “business incubator” in January 2016. Located
in former Hennepin County offices at 1011 West Broadway Avenue North, the
building is undergoing a massive renovation. With goals to support new and existing
businesses, solopreneurs, and the general public in North Minneapolis, the
Business Incubator is an ideal space for anyone looking to get things done in a
supportive environment. NEON also plans
to use the space to ramp up their current office support and mentorship
programs, many of which are supported by the City’s B-TAP, or Business Technical
Assistance Program.

Approximately 5,000 square feet,
the business incubator will have two permanent offices, one retail space,
three conference rooms, and private, semi-private and open office spaces, which
many businesses have already expressed interest
in. They are also planning on making a “cater-to-go” component, where
local food businesses can create lunch boxes to be sold in the incubator space.

NEON is hoping that businesses using
the space will feed off of each other’s entrepreneurial spirit, using the
facility to fuel business development and providing a catalyst for businesses
to eventually grow into their own office spaces. By creating opportunities for
businesses to start in North Minneapolis, NEON hopes the business incubator
starts a movement, bringing fresh businesses to the area and fueling the
economic development of North Minneapolis.

If you
are interested in learning more about the space, visit the NEON
Incubator website.

IT-Ready Creates Direct Pathways to Tech Career Success

Victor Chege, IT-Ready graduate working at the City of Minneapolis as a New Service Desk Agent

Founded
in the Twin Cities in 2012, IT-Ready
is a free, eight-week IT education, training, and career placement program
created to support the increasing need for IT workers while bringing more
employment opportunities, with a focus on workers who are displaced, at-risk
for poverty, women, and minorities. The program emphasizes both technical
(system installation, computer networking, and troubleshooting) and
professional (critical thinking, teamwork, and communication) skills.

Since
its launch, IT-Ready has seen great success: 95 percent of graduates earn
CompTIA A+ certification, with 80 percent receiving IT jobs upon completion of
the course. IT-Ready alumnus Victor Chege is one of those success stories. An
immigrant from Kenya with an IT background, Victor had a difficult time getting
his foot in the door for an IT job in the US. He began taking up cleaning jobs,
however, he refused to give up a career in IT. When he learned of IT-Ready, he
thought it was too good to be true, but decided to go with his gut and apply
anyway. He ended up graduating at the top of his class and is now employed by
the City of Minneapolis as a New
Service Desk Agent. An extremely driven person and hard worker, Victor is
already pursing additional IT training and certifications.

IT-Ready is one of three IT training programs
participating in TechHire, an initiative that is creating public-private
partnerships to prepare workers for technology jobs. Learn more about TechHire here.

On October 22, 2015, the City of Minneapolis in partnership
with MnSCU Community and Technical Colleges Career Services hosted “Inside
Industry,” a targeted career development and job fair event focused on giving
students and jobseekers an inside look into the health care and science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions.

Representatives from MnSCU colleges were available
throughout the day to answer questions regarding their individual health care
and STEM programs.

MnSCU students, job seekers from area Workforce Centers, and
the general public networked with thirty exhibiting companies and ten MnSCU
colleges. Many job seekers reported securing job leads and job offers, or
scheduling interviews with hiring managers.

Funding for the event was provided by Hennepin County and
City of Minneapolis.

HIRED TeenHope Graduate Success is No Surprise

HIRED Counselor Suzanne with TeenHOPE and PACE graduate Tatiyona

At only 19-years-old, Tatiyona Williams navigated
homelessness, moved to Minneapolis, and started college – all while raising two
kids.

Upon arriving in Minneapolis, Tatiyona enrolled at Broadway
High School, which helps pregnant and parenting teens earn their diplomas and
prepare for college. Through the school she was introduced to Emily and
Suzanne, counselors in HIRED’s TeenHOPE and PACE programs. TeenHOPE is a
collaboration between HIRED and the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency that
provides education, employment and parenting assistance to young women. Thanks to the support she received, Tatiyona
graduated from high school in less than six months.

To help her gain work experience, Suzanne suggested that
Tatiyona complete an internship at Cookie Cart. Within two months, she was
offered a permanent position at the bakery where she frequently mentors younger
teens.

Today, Tatiyona is taking classes at Minneapolis Community
and Technical College and plans to follow a career path in special education.

City of Minneapolis Employment and Training has received
funding from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Minnesota
Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to support the work
experience opportunities in this program.

Over 330 Register for the City's Minority- and Women Owned Business Opportunities Fair

Minority- and women- business entreprenuers in attendence at the Business Opportunities Fair interacting with City departments and local nonprofit economic development service providers

On October 29, the City of Minneapolis, through its Business
Technical Assistance Program (B-TAP), hosted a first-of-its-kind Business
Opportunities Fair designed to increase contractual opportunities between
women- and minority-owned vendors and the City. The fair was just one of the
efforts toward achieving the City’s 25 percent inclusion goal set by the City
Council in 2010.

The Opportunities Fair took place at the Profile Event
Center on University Ave and had over 338 registered participants from
different industries and ethnic backgrounds. The program included a
presentation for purchasing opportunities from seven department leaders
including CPED, Human Resources, IT, Convention Center, Public Works, and Parks
and Recreation. Additionally the program included a 3-module training about how
to do business with the City provided by Procurement, Civil Rights, and CPED.
The event included networking time where businesses were able to talk with City
staff and community partners including B-TAP providers who are able to help
small and medium sized women- and minority- owned businesses become certified
at no cost. The Business Opportunities
Fair presentations are available online and a series of B-TAP+ videos that
explain City processes like Procurement, Business Development, Development
Review, Business Licensing and more will be available to help business
owners better navigate City processes.

Attend the 2015 Homegrown Minneapolis Open House

The Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council works to increase access to land in the City for urban farmers and community gardeners.

You are invited to join the Homegrown
Minneapolis Food Council in celebrating another year of
growing, processing, distributing, eating and composting healthy, sustainable
and locally grown food. The
Homegrown Minneapolis Open House will present resources and opportunities for
eating and producing local food, updates on progress made in improving
Minneapolis’ local food systems as well as opportunities to share your food
system priorities for 2016.

Formed in 2012, the Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council is permanent body for the City of Minneapolis to serve as a nexus of citywide
food related efforts.

The purpose of the 25 member Food Council is to:

Advise the Mayor, City Council, and Park Board on food system
related opportunities and challenges;

Provide technical expertise and recommendations in the ongoing
development of the City’s Local Food sustainability targets;

Advance the food system in directions that are health promoting,
environmentally sustainable, local resilient, inclusive, equitable, fair and
transparent;

Assist in development, implementation, and evaluation of Homegrown
Minneapolis recommendations; and, where necessary, convene additional expertise
to innovate around challenges;

Support, participate and provide leadership in development of
regional food system work;

Assist with opportunities to celebrate food and its role in
strengthening the connections of Minneapolis’ many communities and cultures.

The Open House will occur from 6:30-8
p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3 with registration starting at 6:00 pm in the Minneapolis
Public Schools Davis Center at 1250 W. Broadway Ave. The event is free and reservations are encouraged but not required.
Light refreshments will be served,
incorporating local food and inspired by the Minneapolis Public Schools
Culinary & Nutrition team and True Food Chef Council.

The
Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council is a City-Community partnership. Find more
information here about the event and Homegrown Minneapolis.

Governor Dayton Creates New Office of Career and Business Opportunity

Governor Mark Dayton announced that he will create a new
Office of Career and Business Opportunity to be housed at the Minnesota
Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The Office will
provide leadership to help workers and businesses of color find career paths
and business opportunities in Minnesota.

“This is a first and important step in addressing the
troubling economic disparities facing people of color in Minnesota,” Dayton
said in an October 11th press release.

To ensure that the mission of the Office is a high priority
for DEED and the Dayton Administration, it will be led by a director and
overseen by a senior level staff member who will be a member of the Commissioner’s
senior leadership team.

Governor Dayton’s announcement follows a U.S. Census Bureau
report that highlighted economic disparities facing Minnesotans of color.
Minnesota currently ranks 45th in the nation in median African-American
household income and nearly 40 percent of African-American children in
Minnesota live in poverty.

About this newsletterGrowingMinneapolis is published monthly by the City of Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development Department. If you have questions, please contact rose.lindsay@minneapolismn.gov.

For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact Rose Lindsay at 612.673.5015. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.